Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-20

affairs and an Independent in poiitlcs
generally, testified that Schuetze cone OF
the petitioners for an investigation ala
not take an active part in the election,
because the witness advised him that III
was moons sistent with the dignity OF the
office he was running for-that OF county
Judge. Everything went OIL quiety
at Brenham until evening, when Judge
Kirk tried TO raise a row with the kepuo-
licans. 1t was the general feeling thaI
evening that the Republicans had carried
the county. The witness was counsel Tor
eight negroes, who were confined IN the
jail on a charge of murder In default OF
$500 bail under the commitment OF the
county Judge. The commitment vas
ridiculous, the Judge having no Jurlsdic-
tion except over misdemeanors, and MUIR
der being an unbailable crime until after
examination.
THE LYNCHING.
The negroes were transferred from
BRENNAN to Houston, because of the ex-
element, and were afterwards returned
to Brennan, 1t being thought the excite.
ment had died out. The witness himseil
thought there would be no danger, out
three were hanged in few days, and on
the very day the counsel with the
witness tried to get Wr't
of habeas corpus. Alfred Jones, one OF
the negroes hanged, told the witness wnen
in jail that he was not present When bol-
ton was killed, but afterwards went TO
Flewellyn and found Bottoms body There.
He said Bolton had on rubber coat,
partly concealing his person.
BOTTOMS MURDER.
The witness described a conversation
he had held with Shad Fielder, another of
the negroes hanged. Fielder gave history
of the events of the night Of the election,
the entrance of the three men with rub
Der storm coats on, and the killing OF
Bolton. Fielder also said he had nothing
TO do with the killing, as did the third
negro hanged. The general opln-
ion in the community was
that the negroes were hanged
because of the evidence they could
give. He heard men of both parties ex-
press this opinion. The witness, the day
after the hanging of the negroes, received
a note signed "Committee," which he be-
lieved was written by Frank Harbin,
stating that after a careful investigation
they found that the witness had used
| every means in his power to create sem
timent in favor of the murderers, and in
| order to avoid trouble the witness was
| ordered to leave the county in ten days.
TERRIBLE THREATS.
The witness had heard that Judge Kirk
had received threat ening notice. Mr..
| u
oused SchuetZe of writing IL and the wit
ness OF abettlng it. and said the county
would run with blood If the thing was
not stopped. Judge Kirk, when the
| witness asked him about the
matter, said he did not
know who wrote the letter, but that If
any Democrat was killed the country
would SUNK with corpses. Tire witness
| told both parties that Schuetze and him
| self had no connection with the letter,
and that the Republicans were too much
| afraid to send such notices. AT first the
| witness intended to leave the county,
but finally got gun and revolver TO de-
| fend himself II necessary.
| STILL ANXIOUS,
| The witness said his anxiety died out
| to some extent, but continued up to the
time OF the present investigation. The
witness was not active in the campaign
| and never received any warning until
after he became counsel for the negroes.
The witness never heard of any reward
being offered or attempt made to appre-
bend the persons who hanged the three
Democrats expressed indignation at
these outrages, while others said
it was white mans country,
that the whites paid the taxes and pro-
posed to run the county. On cross-ex-
animation by Senator Pugh the witness
said he had no personal knowledge to
afford clue to who raided the ballot
boxes.
In answer to Senator Spoonor the wit
ness said 1t was practically useless for
the witness to practice law in Brenham,
as he could not get justice before Judge
Kirk. Other lawyers were In the same